Folding transportation poultry-coop.



. No. 811,047. PATENTED JAN. so, 1906.

' L. n. FOWLER.

FOLDING TRANSPORTATION POULTRY COOP. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 10 1905.

(02' L n e 68681 w? per risen.

LEWIS D. FOW'VLER, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISA AC A. KNESS, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA TER- RITORY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J' an. 30, 1906.

Application filed April 10, 1905. Serial No. 254,718.

To (LZZ Hill/077% it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS D. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Transportation Poultry-Coops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding transportation poultry-coops in which a rectangular floor forms the base, to the upper surface of which is hinged the feet of the two (left) corner-posts in a manner to permit their folding down upon the said bottom, the corner-posts being constructed in the form of angle-iron and having at their upper and lower ends firmly secured thereto cross-bars forming a rectangular space covered with wire network, the right end being similarlyconstructed, the lower cross-bar being hinged to the base, permitting its outward and downward folding, the angleiron side bars of the top having firmly secured thereto at each end flat cross-bars, forming a support to the wire network covering the intervening space, in which a door may be located, the downwardly-proj ecting members of the said side angle-bars having their ends hinged to the upper ends of the converging members of the angle-iron corner-posts, permitting the coop-top to fold to the right and downward when the two side members of the coop (hinged to the base) are folded inwardly upon the base, means being provided for maintaining the side members in an upright position and also the coop in a folded position, all of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a light strong coop for the transportation of poultry byrailway and other means; second, one which shall be so constructed as to fold into a comparatively small space for shipment when empty. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete folding poultrycoop embodying the elements of my invention, (the door being omitted.) Fig. 2 is a perspective view of Fig. 1, showing the coop folded for shipment. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coop with the top removed and. one of the side members folded down. Fig. 4 is an. end view of the coop, showing the spring-latch 12 in place. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the left rear corner, showing the device for securing the side members in an upright or vertical position, and Fig. 6 is a detail view.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, A is the rectangular base of the folding coop, consisting of a board or boards forming a floor-base, to which is loosely attached the wire-netting cage-like body of the coop, the ends of which consist of angleiron corner-posts 1 1, having firmly secured to their ends, preferably to the outside surface thereof, cross plates or bars 2 2 and 3 3, forming thereby rectangular frames having perforations at regular intervals near the innor edges of the framework, forming a reception and support for the wires composing the network of the coop ends. The sill-like crossplate 2 is loosely hinged to the floor-base A by hook-bolts or staples 8", secured in said base and passing through the lower portion of the said cross-plate 2, constituting thereby a hinge, permitting the end member to fold down (outwardly) to a horizontal position, as in Fig. 2. The feet of the left end cornerposts 1 are hinged to the floor-base hinge members 8 in a manner to permit the left end. member of the cage portion to fold inwardly and down, as shown in Fig. 2. The side members of the coop are constructed of longitudinal sill plates or bars 4 and upper plates 5, having secured thereto at each end cross plates or bars 6 and 7, forming rectan gular frames adapted to secure thereto wirenetting, the said side members having their base plates or bars 4 hinged to the floor-base A by hook-bolts or staples 8 in a manner to permit the said side members to fold inwardly and down upon the floor-base A.

The top of the coop is constructed of side bars 9 9, of angle-iron, having secured to their ends cross plates or bars 3 3", forming a rectangular frame perforated at proper intervals for the reception of the wires constituting the network forming the top, a suitable door being located therein. The downwardlyprojecting flange members of the angle-iron side bars 9 9 of the top-frame have their ends hinged to the upper end of the inwardly-extending members of the corner-posts 1 1 in a manner to permit the top to fold down to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which folded shipping position the coop is secured by hooks 10, being secured to each edge of the floorbase, and the loops 11, secured to the edges of the said coop-top. The side members of the coop in the raised or vertical position rest between the flanges 1 2 of the angleirons 1 and the shoulder of the spring-latches 12, which are secured to the end sections of the coop. The spring-latch 12 is preferably made of two parts, each as shown in Fig. 6, which are united at the bottom by rivets, or it may be made in one piece. The ends of this latch pass up and through the swinging ends of the coop and form a spring-latch for the ends and sides of the coop to secure the same in place in their raised positions. To lower the sides, ends, and top of the coop, the ends of the latch must be released, when the sides may be turned inward and the ends and top lowered. The door for the insertion and removal of poultry may be located in the top, the side, or end of the coop and may be of any convenient form..

In operation the coops are transported to their destination in the most condensed form, being folded as in Fig. 2, and to prepare them for being filled with poultry unhook the top and raise to the position indicated by the dot ted lines in Fig. 2 and raise the sides to a vertical position, in which position they remain by the locking device of the spring-latch, in

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding transportation poultrycoop, the combination with a floor-base, having inwardly-folding sides and swinging ends hinged thereto, a top moving upward and downward with the ends, and'hinged thereto, of a latch consisting of a spring-arm secured to the end of the coop and a shoulder near the end of said spring-arm adapted to abut against the inner face of the side wall to hold it in the raised position, substantially as described.

2. In a folding transportation poultrycoop, the combination with a rectangular base, a rectangular top, and inwardly-folding sides hinged to the base, of swinging ends hinged to the base and to the top, flanges on the side edges of the end members and springlatches having shoulders disposed adjacent said flanges, the side walls of the coop being clamped between said flanges and shoulders in the raised position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS D. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

G. W. STEPHENSON, CowAN AMLURGEY. 

